Dinacharya on the Go!
How to maintain a daily practice while traveling.
Following an Ayurvedic lifestyle is a commitment to lifestyle choices and practices. The space you create for yourself becomes a required daily ritual. With consistency, these develop into routines you eagerly look forward too. But what about when we travel? Do you find your Ayurvedic practices never make it into your suitcase?
This month I am sharing with you how to continue a solid daily routine while on the road. It is easier than you may think if you have the right tools. Let’s explore what you can do once you arrive at your destination.
Most of the daily practices we partake are to calm Vata. When this dosha is not balanced we experience anxiety, worry, dryness, constipation and weak digestion. Have you ever noticed when traveling you may feel ungrounded, a little drier, constipated, more gassy? Traveling, if not kept in check, will throw Vata under the bus or off the airplane.
This first one I have learned the hard way. There is always a tongue scraper in my travel bag. Nothing worse than not having one first thing in the morning. It only took forgetting that once to remind me how much I cherish the simplicity of this ayurvedic ritual gem.
Drinking water from a copper vessel in the morning is great way to reduce inflammation and the effects of free radicals. A copper cup is easy to pack. Even better you can invest in a copper water bottle and use that as your travel bottle.
Pack your silk gloves to stimulate your lymphatic system. They are light and don’t take up much space. It also feels fantastic to brighten your senses in the morning when fighting time changes.
Abhyanga is one of the best ways to calm Vata anytime.
But did you know skipping a good daily oiling while traveling and your chance of increasing Vata is very good.
However, this is often the point when most of us fall off our practice. The fear of finding an oil spill in our luggage is good reason to pass on this. Don’t be afraid. Check out a product called GoToob by HumanGear. I have taken these leakproof tubes all over the world with me and have had not a single oil spill. If you are still nervous put the tubes in a ziplock freezer bag. I ONLY recommend this brand as I have not had that same luck with other “travel tubes”. They may look similar but do not work nearly as well. Don’t forget an extra for your oil pulling treatment.
If possible, I prefer to stay at an Airbnb so I have a full kitchen. If I don’t have that option, I carry a small electric kettle to heat water for my morning tulsi, neti pot, and to heat the oil filled GoToob. There are several on Amazon to choose from.
If you do have access to a kitchen, I advise cooking as much of your food as you can on the road. Restaurants are great but eating at the mercy of a menu every day gets old. I like to carry my own rice and yellow split mung dal, oatmeal, almonds, raisins, dates and spices. You can make your own travel spice kit or get one from me. Use small tins and fill them with the necessities such as cumin, turmeric, black mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry powder, cardamom, fennel, Himalayan salt and dried ginger. Whichever spices are best for your dosha and appropriate for the season.
For my skin, I love this sweet little Facial Care Trial Kit (below) from my new friend Zach Zube at Element Ayurvedic Apothecary. It includes a cleanser/mask, an unbelievable facial serum and a toning rose hydrosol (which is completely delicious). Each piece is under 3oz so it passes for carry on. The really lovely part of this is that you can keep the small travel size and then just refill from a larger size. I also really like his Element Naysa oil.
Zach also makes a great sleep foot oil in a 1oz bottle to massage into your feet at night before you drift off. You will wake up refreshed and ready for the adventures of the day. You can find all these products at Element Ayurvedic Apothecary. Send Zach my love.
One more sleep tip is my Good Night Sleep Tight Tea. Taking this on the road is helpful to lull you into sweet sleep. Making every effort to stay in circadian rhythm so your body can easily adjust to time changes is key.
I hope these tips keep you calm and balanced during your upcoming travels.